A Californian software company has announced plans to set up a software development centre in Belfast which will initially create 36 jobs. WANdisco (Wide Area Network Distributed Computing), which was established in 2005 in San Ramon, California, already has an engineering centre in Sheffield in England.

The company recently raised £15 million floated on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market. It employs 75 people.

The North’s Minister of Enterprise Arlene Foster said its decision to set up in Belfast “reflects the strength of what Northern Ireland has to offer”.

Invest Northern Ireland is financially supporting the new investment with £360,000.